Broom-corn tabler



3 SheetsSheet 1.

W. M. 85 L. N. BOWMAN.

(No Model.)

BROOM CORN TABLER.

Patented Dec. 21,1886.

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@ttmqeyg v Mk5 a (No Model.) 3-Sheets--Sheet 2 W. M. & L. N. BOWMAN.

" BROOM CORN TABLER.

wiuiesses KQW I g I 18W v 137 m t omfiys '(N0 Model.) I r I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' W. M. &L. N. BOWMAN.

. BROOM CORN TABLER.

No. 354,622. I Patented Dec. 21, 1886.

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- ilNiTno STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. BOWMAN AND. LEWIS N. BOWMAN, OF LINCOLN, MISSOURI.

BROOM-CORN TA'BLER.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 354,622, dated December 21, 1886.

Application filed October 28, 1885. Serial No. 181,142. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM M. BOWMAN and LEWIS N. BOWMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Benton and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Broom-Corn Tablers; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in. the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in corn-harvesting machines, and more particularly to what we have termed a broom-corn tabler. .j

The object of our invention is to construct a machine by which this process may be carried on expeditiously and at a minimum of expense; and to this end and to such others as the invention may pertain it consists in the peculiar combination and the novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. r

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan viewof our improved tabler. Fig. 2 is a side elevation .of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a detail perspective. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing one form of clutch. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan of the shafts, braces, coupling-bar, &c. Fig. 7 is a detail, more particularly referred to hereinafter. Figs. 8 are sections on the line 3 y of Fig. 5, looking in opposite directions.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates a suitable frame, comprising upper and lower side rails, A A, respectively, braced by uprights and cross-bars, substantially as shown, journaled in suitable bearings,in which is the main axle B, carrying the traction: wheels 0 O.

D are the shafts, connected at the rear end by the cross-bar a.

E are braces, attached at one end to the uprights of the frame and at the other end to the upper rails, A Each of these braces is provided with an offset, 6, in which is pivoted one end of a link, F, its other end being attached to the cross-bar a, as shown.

The diagonal bars F are secured to the shafts and crossbar, and at their point of union are strengthened by the forked plate I), terminating in a hook, b, which engages the lower end of the vertical bar G, which passes through the guide I), secured to the front edge of the platform B, and is adjustable therein, a pin, b being provided to fit in holes in the barto hold the same in its adjusted position. By the means just described the shafts can be raised or lowered to accommodate horses of different heights.

H is the drivers seat, suitably supported on the main frame.

I are beveled pinions, carried by the main axle and meshing with the beveled pinions K,

carried by the vertical shafts L. These shafts pass through the sleeves c, secured to andsupported by the spiders d, secured to the frame A, and through similar sleeves, f, secured to the platform B. The inner arms of these spiders d are joined together by any suitable means, as shown at c.

J are brackets adjustably secured to the upper side rails of the frame A. K are guiderails or break bars provided with arms 70, by

which they are adj ustably secured to the said brackets. These arms are of sufficient length to extend the said rails beyond the frame, as shown. These rails are provided on their outer faces with teeth, the object of which will which is secured a curved rake-arm or beaterfinger, O. The sleeves M are secured rigidly to the shafts L by set-screws Z in such manner that they revolve therewith, but can be adjusted to a higher or lower level, corresponding with the adjustment of the toothed rails K and cams P when the latter are adjusted to correspond with the height of grain to be tabled.

-Adjustably secured to the frame and arranged above the platform B, as shown, are the cam-rings P. Each of the arms N is provided with a downwardly-projecting lug, n,

and to each of these lugs there is journaled a friction-roller, 0, designed to travel on the under surface of this cam-ring. 0 are similar rollers, journaled on the arms N, and designed to travel on the upper surface of said camrings.

Q is a guard secured to the rear end of the frame A, and extending upward and forward, and is intended to preventthe corn acted upon by the fingers 0 from falling into and clogging or choking the other partsof the machine.

Near each end of the main axle we provide in any suitable way, so as to revolve there In the drawings we have shown it as with. secured by an ordinaryset-screw; but of course we do not intend to limit ourselves to such means. S, and is provided with ratchet-teeth adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth on the interior of 1 the sleeve R.

R is a coil-spring,held in place between the end of the sleeve S and the hub bybeing'in-j serted in the annular grooves S'S in said sleeve and hub, respectively. A groove, t, is, formed in the sleeve S, and into this groove fits the forked or bifurcated end of the lever U, fulcrumed at u on one arm of the spider 1,

its other end being connected bythe rod or link Y to the hand-lever T, pivoted to the'under sideof the platform B.

be understood that there are two, one at'each side of the machine, as clearly-shown in Fig.

3, so connected and arranged that they are op erated simultaneously by one movement of the hand-lever.

Instead of the coil-spring R, 'arr'anged between the sleeve and hub, as above described,

side of its pivoted point, so that the moving ofsaid lever in one directionor the other will throw the clutches simultaneously into or out .of operation.

The cam-rings have a substantially horizontal portion and a gradu'ally inclined portion, and are so arranged in relation to each other that the beater-fingers intheir revolution clear each other, as will-be readily understood.

The operation of our machine isas follows: Asthe machine is drawn along, the draft ani- The sleeve'S is feathered on the hub' mal or animals traveling between the rows of broom-corn, the vertical shafts are revolved by means of the beveled pinions, as described. These shafts carrying the beater-fingers, the

latter necessarily revolve with them, and,

these beaters break or beat down the tops of the broom-corn over the break-bars K, which serve as rests for the standing stems or stalks while the heaters act upon them. The beaterfingers work or rotate underneath the guide Q, which latter prevents the stems or stalks from becoming entangled with or wrapping around the heaters and clogging up and preventing the successful operation of the machine. The beater-fingers, by means of the construction of the cam-rings and their arrangement, are so arranged that they clear each other in their revolution, as will be readily understood. It is preferable to have the beater-fingers strike the corn obliquely, and for't his reasonthe break-bars are shown at an inclination to the sides of the frame;

but said bars can be readily adjusted to bring themparallel with the frame when desired.

"While we have shown two break-bars and two sets of breakerfi'ngers, whereby two rows of broom-corn may be tabled simultaneously, one upon each side of the machine, we do not intend to limit ourselves to such, as itis evident bhat one break-bar and oneset of beaterfingers may sometimes be used, and still embody the spirit of our invention.

The clutch-lever is within convenient reach of the drivers seat, and by its manipulation the machine" may be thrown into or out of gear at'will.

By making the breaker-bars adjustable to andfrolm the sides of the frame the machine may be used to operate on rows of broom- :corn'of varying distances between the rows, While we have described but'one clutch and, one lever and connecting rod or link, it will and "by making the break-bars and the camrings adjustable vertically and pivoting the. arms that carry the beater-fingers, the same may be made to break the stems at a greater or'less distance from the vground, as may be desired. By providing the back bars with teeth a more extended surface is presented,

and'the grain isprevented from slipping out .of the'path of the beaters.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim," and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is

LThe combination, with the break-bars arranged one upon each-side of the machine, the vertical shafts, and beater-fingers carried thereby and arrangedto clear each other in their revolutions, as set forth, of the guard Q, secured to the rear end of the frame and extended upward and forward directly over the adjacentbeaters, substantially as and for the purpose described.

'2 The combination, with the frame, the spider's'd, thevertical shafts L, pinions K, secured thereto, and the main axle carrying pinions'I, of clutches on said axle, levers acting on said clutches pivotally supported by the spiders, the hand-lever T, and rods connecting the levers with the hand-levers, one bars E, and the bar G, adjustably secured to of said rods being secured to the under side of the frame, substantially as and for the purthe platform B and coiled to form a spring, poses set forth.

' substantially as and for the purpose specified. In testimony whereof we affi'x our signatures 5 3. The combination, with the frame A, the in presence of two witnesses.

braces E, provided with oifsets e,the shafts, WILLIAM M. BOWMAN. and the diagonal b'ars F, of the links F, se- LEWIS N. BOWMAN cured at one end to the cross-bar of the shafts Witnesses: and their other ends pivoted in the offsets e, J. P. ALLEN,

10 the hook b, secured to the inner ends of the J. F. BROWN. 

